Life in the Far North

Nick is travelling with his parents who are visiting the capital of Nunavut, Canada’s newest territory.

Here is an excerpt from his diary.

The brilliant sun is setting as we arrive shortly after 1 p.m., in the capital of Nunavut. With a population of about 4500 inhabitants, Iqaluit is the new territory’s largest community.

Smoke comes out of chimneys of tiny homes in the centre of a vast white landscape. Residents move around by foot, by vehicle or by Skidoo. They transport goods with husky-drawn sleighs. The snow crunches when we walk, briskly, in the -20° C weather of the eastern Artic.

We go into a warm bar and meet Jim Harris a 53 years old “southerner” who is having a drink. He moved to Nunavut from Poughkeepsie; N.Y., five years ago, and lives in the bush, about four hours from Iqaluit. “I love the outdoors” he says. ”I come to Iqualuit once in a while, when I need to buy things”. He is fascinated by the Far North. “My back yard is home to moose, bears, and porcupines. I love being able to walk out of my back door into a heart of nature.” His next-door neighbour is 30 miles from his place. “I don’t think I would be able to live next to other people” he says. “It doesn’t work for me”.

He lives the Inuit traditional way of life: hunting, fishing, and sculpting. To get through the long winter he grows hundred if pounds of potatoes and preserves hundreds of fish. He is quite happy with this simple food. He says he doesn’t miss the sophisticated food he had when he lived in the States.

He talks about the new house he is building in the forest. “It is shaped like an igloo” he says. “It has small round windows like those of submarines. It needs to be well-protected from the winter snowstorms and the freezing winds”.

He takes us out into the freezing outdoors to see the natural, spectacular show in the night sky. We don’t have our coats. We are freezing. But we don’t mind. The northern lights are more beautiful than anything you can imagine. Their beauty takes our breath away.